Pipe-laying apparatus



(No Model.) I

D. A. STREETER. PIPE LAYING APPARATUS.

No. 400,881. Patented Apr. 2; 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL A. STREETER, OF VVATERBIIRY, CONNECTICUT.

PIPE-LAYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 400,881, dated April '2, 1889.

Application filed August '27, 1888. Serial No. 283,878; (no model.)

.To ctZZ 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL A. STREETER, of \Vaterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Apparatus for Laying Pipe in Trenches; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a perspective View of the'apparatus complete; Fig. 2, a sectional side view of the apparatus as arranged over a trench preparatory to transferring the pipe from the bank to the trench; Fig. 3, the apparatus as in the operation of lowering the pipe into the trench. I

This invention relates to an apparatus to facilitate the laying of pipe in trenches. In the usual method of laying pipe in trenches for gas, water, and like purposes a derrick is arranged over the trench, by means of which the pipe is lifted from the bank, brought over the trench, and then lowered to its place. In laying heavy pipe, such as commonly used for water, the derrick is necessarily a heavy structure, and to move from place to place requires the force of several men, and such movement of the derrick is necessary for each length of pipe. Again, the derrick must be supported by guys, which require to be rearranged or adjusted after each movement of the derrick. This introduction of the pipe into the trench is an expensive part of the work in laying the pipe.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple apparatus which may be easily removed from place to place, an d which will avoid the use of guys and require but few hands to manipulate it; and the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and more particularly recited in the claims.

A represents an upright or post, provided with a suitable base to give it a firm support on the ground, and it is adapted to stand upon the bank near the trench.

B represents a beam, which extends horizontally from the post and should be adj ustably attached to the post, so that it may be set at different elevations, as occasion may require. The length of this beam is such that when the post is placed upon one side of the trench C, as indicated in Fig. 2, the beam will extend over the bank upon the opposite side that is, is of a length considerably greater than the width of the trench.

On the beam a carriage, D, is arranged, pro= vided above the beam with wheels E, which are adapted to run on the upper surface of the beam, so that the carriage may travel lon= gitudinally on the beam.

The carriage consists of a frame-work, and extends below the base, where it is provided with two pulleys, F G, and with a loop or eye, H, to which one end of a rope. I, may be at tached, the rope here represented as attached by a hook, J Below the carriage is a cradle, which consists of a frame, K, carrying two pulleys, L M. This cradle is suspended from the carriage by means of the rope I, the rope passing from its point of attachment, H, on the carriage down around the pulley M in the cradle, thence up over the pulley F onthe carriage, thence down around the pulleyLin the cradle, thence up over the pulley G in the carriage, from whence the rope runs to a convenient point for manipulation, as hereinafter described. Under this arrangement the cra= dle is suspended to the carriage by two loops, so that it will retain its horizontal position substantially parallel with the beam, and so that as the rope is drawn over the pulley G the loops will be alike contracted and the cradle drawn nearer to the beam, or when the rope is slackened the two loops will alike extend and the cradle fall, maintaining its horizontal position.

The carriage is provided with a brake, through which the rope passes from the pulley G, so that friction may be applied to the rope as occasion may require. best made by an extension of the carriage, which extension is connected by a bar, N, below the carriage, through which is an opening for the rope to pass from the pulley G, as seen in Fig. 2. On the carriage a two-armed lever, O P, is hung. The arm P, being in rear of the bar N, carries a finger, Q, above the rope. This finger works in so close proximity to the bar N that when the lever is turned downward, as seen in Fig. 2, the finger G produces a short bend between it and the bar N,.and so as to produce a strong brake upon the rope,

This brake is IOC which may be relieved or released entirely by 1 a line, B, is connected with the lever and extends to the bank, where the operator stands, as shown.

It is desirable to engage the carriage with the beam when the pipe shall have been brought over the trench. To do this the brake-lever O I is utilized. Upon the under side of the beam several notches or recesses, a, are formed in the path of a stud, Z), on the brake-lever, and so that as the lever is raised the said stud Z) will enter a notch corresponding to the then position of the lever, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 3, and thereby interlock the carriage with the beam, so that the longitudinal movement of the carriage in either direction is impossible.

As a convenient means for applying power to the rope a pulley, S, is arranged near the upright, around which the rope is coiled once or more, and thence the rope is led, preferably, through a hole, (7, in the post, in which tholepins 6 c are arranged, with which the rope may be interlaced, as occasion may require. The pulley S provided with sockets f, into which a lever may be introduced, or provided with other known means for mechanically turning the pulley. This completes the construction.

In operation the apparatus is set over the trench C, as seen in Fig. 2, the post standing upon the bank opposite that upon which the earth is thrown from the trench. The beam extends over the trench and so as to rest upon the earth thrown up upon that side, as shown, or it may be otherwise supported. The pipe to be introduced is placed upon the bank on the same side as the post, but between the post and the trench, the pipe being usually so placed before the apparatus is brought to its position. The carriage is drawn alongthe beam until the cradle is brought over the pipe. Then the chain T, which is attached by one end to the cradle, is passed under the pipe and engaged with the cradle upon the opposite side, as shown, it being understood that two or more like apparatus are arranged, according to the length of the pipe or sections of united pipe to be lowered, distant from each other, so as to properly support the pipe. While the pipe is thus being secured to the cradle the brake-lever is raised and interlocked with the beam, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 2. Now the rope is drawn upon, so as to raise the cradle and the pipe which it carries, as represented in Fig. 2. Then the carriage is unlocked and the lever O P turned downward to produce a brake upon the rope, which will hold the cradle and the pipe suspended. The carriage is then moved along the beam until the pipe is brought over the trench, as indicated in Fig. 3. This movein ent of the earri age may be produced by giving a little inclination to the beamthat is, making the support for the end opposite the post somewhat lower than its connection with the post-so that the carriage will easily run along the beam until the desired position is attained, or itniay be otherwise moved. After the carriage has been moved to bring the pipe and cradle over the trench, as seen in Fig. 3, then the lever O is raised to again interlock the carriage with the beam, and then the rope is slackened, so that the cradle with the pipeit carries will descend into the tren ch, as indicated in Fig.

By employing two or more of these apparatus in laying pipe several lengths may be united on the bank, and then safely lowered into the trench without fear of disturbing the joints, because the lowering is under such perfect cont-rel.

The apparatus requires no guys to sustain it, it being so low down that the base for the support of the posts is suliicient to prevent its tipping, and the construction of such a character that few hands are necessary to manipulate it, and it is easily removed from place to place.

The use of the apparatus in removingpipe from trenches will be apparentwithout particular description.

I claim 1. The combination of the principal post A, the beam l3, extendinghorizon tally therefrom, the post provided with a suitable base for its vertical support, a carriage, I), hung upon said beam and adapted to travel thereon, the carriage provided with pulleys F G below the beam, with a cradle, K, carrying pulleys L M, and a rope attached by one end to said carriage and running down around the pulley M on the cradle, up over the pulley F of the carriage, down around the pulley L of the cradle, thence up over the pulley G of the carriage, the said cradle provided with means for supporting the pipe, substantially as and for the purpose described.

The combination of the post A, the beam B, extending horizontally therefrom, carriage D, supported and so as to run upon said beam, the carriage carrying pulleys F G below the beam, the cradle K below said carriage, a rope attached by one end to the carriage and running around pulleys in the cradle and over the said pulleys in the carriage, the carriage constructed with an opening in rear of the pulleys, through which the rope runs, and a brake-lever carrying a finger adjacent to said opening in the carriage and adapted to operate as a brake upon the rope, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the post A, the beam B, extending horizontally therefrom, a carriage arranged to travel upon the beam, a cradle below the carriage, a rope by which said cradle is suspended to said carriage, a lever, O P, hung upon said carriage, a beam constructed with one or more notches, 0,, and the lever provided with correspol'idin g studs, 5, substantially as and for the purpose described.

\Vitnesses: DANIEL A. S'lltllllllllt.

NELSON J'. WEL'roN, GEORGE L. WEL'roN.

ITO 

